Rope protector and guide



Nov. 7, 1933.

ROPE PROTECTOR AND GUIDE Filed Dec. 6, 1932 INVENTOR- N. NELSON 1,933,751

Patented Nov. 7, 1933 1,933,751 ROPE PROTECTOR AND GUIDE Norman Nelson, Newark, N. J. Application December 6, 1932. SerialrNo. 645,943 w 8 Claims.

The improvements relate to devices for guiding and protecting ropes, cables and the like against injury and undue wear and tear and at points Where they have irictional engagement with other elements, and they relate primarily to means for protecting and positioningY ropes or lines for suspending scaiolds in the erection oi steel building frames. They may, however, be employed for other purposes to which they are adaptable. 1

The objects of the present improvements, among others, are to provide strong, very simple and effective means for protecting ropes or lines which are run over steel beams or other-similar supporting members and from which are hung scaffolds for riveters or other workmen, which can be very quickly and easily adjusted to the beam or other support and applied thereto, when so applied will retain their position thereon under all the conditions and exigencies of use,

may be with like facility removed therefrom and applied to others or adjusted thereon,V and which will under all conditions effectively protect and position and guide the rope or line applied thereto.

In the erection of steel frames Vfor buildings, it is common practice to rst erect the main columns and girders and the other parts of the frame and bolt them together to form a temstructionby means of ropes, scaolds to sup- Y port riveters, who rivet these parts, including joists, beams, wind-bracing and other elements of the frame. This work is considered extra hazardous, and thev security or" the men engaged in it is a matter oi the highest importance. edges of the beams from which the scaffolds are suspended are relatively sharp, and the weight imposed upon the suspending lines is considerable, while the vibrations of the scaffold and the must, therefore, frequently be renewed. It is Vquite usual to renew the lines suspending the needle beams which support the platform .of

` the scaiold everyfew days, and these ropes must be watched carefully to insure against breaking and precipitating the scaiold structure and the workmen thereon to the lower portions of the construction or even to the ground levelfre- Thev quently hundreds of feetand thus causing serious injuries and even fatalities to the workmen on the platforms or working below them.- t is also necessary to move the scaiiold horizontally along the horizontal beams and to raise and lower it so that the workmen can cover a certain area,` and in sliding the suspending lines along the beams, and working them over the said beams, the said lines are subjected to a considerable amount of wear and tear and abrasion. These ropes are a very considerable item oi expense to the contractor, as they must of necessity be or" high quality and strength, and'must be provided vvith spliced eyes at their ends. Nor is it advisable to provide guides and protectors for the said ropes which require the use oi tools to secure them in position or to disconnect them. It is to provide for the protection and guidance of the ropes and the adjustment of the guide and protector under all ordinary working conditions, to eliminate danger oi accidents from breaking ropes and eiect an important economy in the use'thereof, that the present improvements are primarily designed.

The improvements are illustrated -in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a protector and guide in closed up position embodyingA the improvements;

n Figure 2 is a view of the same Figure 3 is a plan.

ln the said drawing, l and 2 represent slidably arranged overlapping plates, plate 1 being the upper and plate 2 the under one. Over 'these l plates the ropes, indicated in dotted lines inl Fig. 3,'work. At its outer edge plate l is provided with an inwardly curved depending and integral flange 3 and at the opposite edge oi plate 2 a similar flange i is provided. kThe function of these ilanges is primarily to protect the rope against undue wear and abrasion where it passes over the edges of an I-beam flange Vor other support and to provide a'connection between the protector and said support. In the illustrative Y application of the improvements; these depend- 100 ing anges engage over the upper and outer edges ofthe flange of an'I-beam, represented at X, and as will be seen, provide a secure connection. Their particular form, however, is not essential, so long'as they provide a smooth track 105 for the rope, and they may if desired, be made of resilient metal soV shaped or provided Vwith gripping means as to engage supports of other form. ',Ihus their lower portions maybe straight or only slightly curved and also may be provided extended; and' 85 with rubber pads, buttons or other means for frictionally engaging it, or may have prongs thereon.

The plate l is provided along each longitudinal or side edge with upstanding guards 5 and G and the plate 2 with similar guards '7 and 8, which serve to conne and the rope passing over them. The guard 6 of the plate 1 has a laterally extending boss 9 at its inner end provided with downwardly extending-teeth or other serrations 10, while the guard 8 of the plate 2 has complemental serrations l1, by means of which, and through the engagement of the teeth with each other, the plates may be securely locked in any desired adjustment within their range, and mayV be quickly connected and disconnected and without the use of tools or other means for connecting them. As beams or other supports may vary in width from ive to ten inches, or more, this adjustment and the means for accomplishing it quickly and without the manipulation of any connecting means is of great importance under ordinary conditions of use. It will be seen that with this arrangement the protecting and guiding device may be almost` instantly adjusted to supports of Various widths, secured thereon, disconnected or loosened for application to another support or movement on a given support, and without the use of tools or the manipulation of any connecting means. It will also be seen that the plates are held securely in locked posiflange outwardly to some extent, so that there is Y a space between its medial portion and the vertical side of the support. This provides a rounded surface, without any sharp edges for the rope extending and working over it which prevents undue wear or abrasion of the rope, and permits it to slide thereover without Abinding action. It also causes the lower portions of the flanges to be pressed against the support, giving them a tendency to grip the said support firmly. The inner edge of the upper plate: l is beveled, as indicated at 12, so that the rope will slide thereover freely and will not be subjected to abrasive action thereby.

On the bottom of the upper plate 1 is an angular boss 13, adapted to bear upon the upper surface of the support and hold the outer end of the plate accurately in horizontal position, as this boss is of the same thickness as the lower plate 2. The inner edge of the plate 2 is provided with a recess 14 to receive this boss when the plates are closed up, and so that they may be brought into substantial coincidence when so closed.

In the outer end of the flange 5 an aperture 15 is provided to receive the looped end of the chain 16, and on the inner end of the iiange 7er plate 2 an eye boss 17 is xed to receive the opposite end of said chain. In Vthis manner the two plates are securely and permanently connected, so that they cannot be separated, and there is also provided a means for carrying them or hanging them while not in working position. 'Io receive the end of the chain 16 when the plates are brought to closed up positions, a notch 18 in the vertical inner edge of the uprightilange ,7 is provided.

Various modifications in the illustrative embodiment of the improvements herein described and shown, to adapt it to other particular uses or for other reasons, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is.

1. In a device of the character indicated substantially' smooth laterally disposed members slidably arranged with respect to each vother providing a surface for a rope, line or cable, curved portions depending from opposite extremities of said members on curved lines providing a protectinU surface for said line, said members and Aportions adapted to be mounted on a xed support with said members on the upper surface and said portions extending over ends thereof, and means for detachably connecting said members comprising engaging portions on each constructed and arranged to be held in engagement by pressure of the line on said members.

2. In a device of the character indicated substantially smooth laterally disposed members slidably arranged with respect to each other providing a surface for a rope, line or cable, curved portions dependingY from opposite extremities of said members on curved lines providing a protecting surface for said line, said members and portions adapted to be `mounted on a xed support with said members on the upper surface and said portions extending over ends thereof, and means for detachably 4connecting said members comprising engaging portions on each constructed and arranged to be held in engagement by pressure of the line on said members, said engaging portions being in the form of complemental projections and recesses. A'

3. In a device of the character indicated substantially smooth laterally disposed members slidably arranged with respect to each other providing a surface for a rope, line or cable, vcurved portions depending from opposite extremities of said members on curved lines providing a protecting surface for said line, said members and portions adapted to be mounted on a iixed support with said members' on therupper surface andsaid portions extending over ends thereof, and means for detachably connecting said members comprising engaging portions on each constructed and arranged to be held in engagement by pressure of the line on said members, said engaging portions being positioned to engage each other at various points to which said slidably arranged members may be moved.

4. In a device of the character described substantially smooth laterally disposed members slidably arranged with respect to each other p'roviding a surface for a rope, line or cable, curved portions depending from opposite extremities of said members on Vcurved lines providing a protecting surface for said line, said members and portions adapted to be mounted on a xed support with said members on the upper surfaces and said portions extending over ends thereof, and means for detachably connecting said members comprising engaging portions on each constructed and arranged to be held in engagement by pressure of the line on said members, said engaging kportions being in the fornrof complemental projections and recesses adapted to engage and disengage one another`on other than slidable movement of the slidably arranged members.

5. In a device of the character indicatedv Substantially smooth laterally disposed members slidablyarranged withrespect to each other providing a surface for a rope, line or cable, curved portions depending vfrom opposite extremities vof said members on curved lines providing a protecting surface for said line, said members and portions adapted to be mounted on a xed support with said members on the upper surface and said portions extending over ends thereof, and means for detachably connecting said members comprising engaging portions on each constructed and arranged to be held in engagement by pressure of the line on said members, upstanding side anges on said members slidably arranged With respect to one another, said upstanding members carrying said engaging portions* 6. In a device of the character indicated, substantially smooth laterally disposed members slidably arranged With respect to each other providing a surface for a rope, line or cable, curved portions depending from opposite extremities of said members on curved lines providing a protecting surface for said line, said members and portions adapted to be mounted on a fixed support with said members on the upper surface and said portions extending over` ends thereof, and means for detachably connecting said members comprising engaging portions on each constructed and arranged to be held in engagement by pressure of the line on said members, up# standing side flanges on said members slidably arranged with respect to one another, said upstanding members carrying said engaging p0rtions, and a flexible connecting means secured to the said upstanding flanges of each said slidably arranged member.

7. In a device of the character indicated substantially smooth laterally disposed members slidably arranged with respect to each other pro'- viding a surface for a rope, line or cable, curved portions depending from opposite extremities of iianges adapted to interlock with one another at' various points to which said members may be moved and constructed and arranged to be held Y in such engagement by pressure df the line.

8. In a device of the character indicated substantially smooth laterally disposed members slidably arranged with respect to each other providing a surface for a rope, line or cable, curved portions depending from opposite extremities of said members on curved lines'providing a protecting surface for said line, said members and portions adapted to be mounted on a xed support with said members Aon the upper surface and said portions vextending over ends thereof, and means for detachably connecting said members comprising engaging portions on each, said engaging portions being in the form of complemental projections and recesses.

NORMAN NELSON. 

